Passive margin inversion controlled by stability of the mantle lithosphere

A. Auzemery; E. Willingshofer; D. Sokoutis; J.P. Brun; S.A.P.L. Cloetingh

doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2021.229042

Passive margin inversion controlled by stability of the mantle lithosphere

A. Auzemery, E. Willingshofer, D. Sokoutis, J.P. Brun, S.A.P.L. Cloetingh

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Contractional deformation of passive continental margins may resemble early stages of induced subduction initiation. Mechanical instabilities are required to permit underthrusting of the oceanic plate. Therefore, the success of developing a new subduction zone will largely depend on the rheology of the mantle lithosphere. In this physical analogue modelling study, a range of mantle viscosities subject to different convergence rates serve as a proxy to simulate contraction of differently aged passive margins with the purpose of describing and quantifying passive margin deformation and mantle stability using the buoyancy number. The experiments illustrate distinct differences in geometry and length-scale of deformation as a function of lithospheric mantle strengths. The results indicate that deformation occurs at passive margins for intermediate strength lithospheric mantle and high strain rate. In contrast, low and high strength mantle lithospheres lead to dominantly intra-oceanic deformation or long wavelength buckling of the entire model, respectively. Our experiments portray an evolution in which early-stage deformation commences at the ocean-continent transition and is controlled by the ductile lower crust of the continent. In the next stage, shear localization through the formation of a decollement within the ductile passive margin crust favors underthrusting of the oceanic lithosphere, leading to a reduction of the area affected by deformation. Prior to underthrusting, the primary response of the lithosphere to compression is by folding at scaled wavelengths of 100–300 km and 500–1000 km, controlled by the strength of the mantle lithosphere.

Original language	English
Article number	229042
Pages (from-to)	1-17
Number of pages	17
Journal	Tectonophysics
Volume	817
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2021.229042
Publication status	Published - 20 Oct 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This manuscript is dedicated to our dear colleague, co-author and friend J.P. Brun. The constructive comments of Zhong-Hai Li and La?titia Le Pourhiet significantly helped to improve the manuscript. Data to support this article are available at the Yoda data repository at Utrecht University, Doi:10.24416/UU01-CMK25L. Surface Images have been processed with the software Surfer from Golden Software, LLC. We acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA Worldview application (https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov), part of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). This research project was funded by the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 ?Subitop? under Grant Agreement No 674899.

Funding Information:
This manuscript is dedicated to our dear colleague, co-author and friend J.P. Brun. The constructive comments of Zhong-Hai Li and Laëtitia Le Pourhiet significantly helped to improve the manuscript. Data to support this article are available at the Yoda data repository at Utrecht University, Doi: 10.24416/UU01-CMK25L . Surface Images have been processed with the software Surfer from Golden Software, LLC. We acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA Worldview application ( https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov ), part of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). This research project was funded by the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 “Subitop” under Grant Agreement No 674899 .

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors

Keywords

Analogue modelling
Condition for subduction initiation
Lithosphere folding
Margin inversion

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Cite this

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title = "Passive margin inversion controlled by stability of the mantle lithosphere",

abstract = "Contractional deformation of passive continental margins may resemble early stages of induced subduction initiation. Mechanical instabilities are required to permit underthrusting of the oceanic plate. Therefore, the success of developing a new subduction zone will largely depend on the rheology of the mantle lithosphere. In this physical analogue modelling study, a range of mantle viscosities subject to different convergence rates serve as a proxy to simulate contraction of differently aged passive margins with the purpose of describing and quantifying passive margin deformation and mantle stability using the buoyancy number. The experiments illustrate distinct differences in geometry and length-scale of deformation as a function of lithospheric mantle strengths. The results indicate that deformation occurs at passive margins for intermediate strength lithospheric mantle and high strain rate. In contrast, low and high strength mantle lithospheres lead to dominantly intra-oceanic deformation or long wavelength buckling of the entire model, respectively. Our experiments portray an evolution in which early-stage deformation commences at the ocean-continent transition and is controlled by the ductile lower crust of the continent. In the next stage, shear localization through the formation of a decollement within the ductile passive margin crust favors underthrusting of the oceanic lithosphere, leading to a reduction of the area affected by deformation. Prior to underthrusting, the primary response of the lithosphere to compression is by folding at scaled wavelengths of 100–300 km and 500–1000 km, controlled by the strength of the mantle lithosphere.",

keywords = "Analogue modelling, Condition for subduction initiation, Lithosphere folding, Margin inversion",

author = "A. Auzemery and E. Willingshofer and D. Sokoutis and J.P. Brun and S.A.P.L. Cloetingh",

note = "Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to our dear colleague, co-author and friend J.P. Brun. The constructive comments of Zhong-Hai Li and La?titia Le Pourhiet significantly helped to improve the manuscript. Data to support this article are available at the Yoda data repository at Utrecht University, Doi:10.24416/UU01-CMK25L. Surface Images have been processed with the software Surfer from Golden Software, LLC. We acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA Worldview application (https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov), part of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). This research project was funded by the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 ?Subitop? under Grant Agreement No 674899. Funding Information: This manuscript is dedicated to our dear colleague, co-author and friend J.P. Brun. The constructive comments of Zhong-Hai Li and La{\"e}titia Le Pourhiet significantly helped to improve the manuscript. Data to support this article are available at the Yoda data repository at Utrecht University, Doi: 10.24416/UU01-CMK25L . Surface Images have been processed with the software Surfer from Golden Software, LLC. We acknowledge the use of imagery from the NASA Worldview application ( https://worldview.earthdata.nasa.gov ), part of the NASA Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). This research project was funded by the European Union's EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 “Subitop” under Grant Agreement No 674899 . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 The Authors",

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AB - Contractional deformation of passive continental margins may resemble early stages of induced subduction initiation. Mechanical instabilities are required to permit underthrusting of the oceanic plate. Therefore, the success of developing a new subduction zone will largely depend on the rheology of the mantle lithosphere. In this physical analogue modelling study, a range of mantle viscosities subject to different convergence rates serve as a proxy to simulate contraction of differently aged passive margins with the purpose of describing and quantifying passive margin deformation and mantle stability using the buoyancy number. The experiments illustrate distinct differences in geometry and length-scale of deformation as a function of lithospheric mantle strengths. The results indicate that deformation occurs at passive margins for intermediate strength lithospheric mantle and high strain rate. In contrast, low and high strength mantle lithospheres lead to dominantly intra-oceanic deformation or long wavelength buckling of the entire model, respectively. Our experiments portray an evolution in which early-stage deformation commences at the ocean-continent transition and is controlled by the ductile lower crust of the continent. In the next stage, shear localization through the formation of a decollement within the ductile passive margin crust favors underthrusting of the oceanic lithosphere, leading to a reduction of the area affected by deformation. Prior to underthrusting, the primary response of the lithosphere to compression is by folding at scaled wavelengths of 100–300 km and 500–1000 km, controlled by the strength of the mantle lithosphere.

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Passive margin inversion controlled by stability of the mantle lithosphere

Abstract

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Keywords

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